The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Which engine???

Still planning my '52 3600. I'll want to do some trailer towing. 6,000 # trailer. I've considered a 6.5, or a 5.9 diesel (too noisy and complicated) a gas 6 cylinder (not enough power) a small-block chevy (everybody does that). I've got a 326 and a 400 pontiac here that I'm now evaluating. I'm trying to achieve a balance between power and fuel economy. I'd like to achieve 20 mpg on the highway. Planning on using a 4 spd OD automatic. Any comments? Will the Pontiac motor fit? Could I still use the straight axle and be able to make the steering linkage work?
Thanks for any responses!
Dean

Those Pontiac engines are HEAVY and WIDE! You're almost certain to encounter steering gear clearance problems, and the springs will have to be beefed up considerably to hold up the weight.

How about the Cadillac 472 or 500 engine? I towed trailers all over the country with a 70 Caddy Fleetwood Brougham, with a 472 and a Turbo 400, with no problems whatsoever, even when the engine had over 200,000 miles on it, and I towed a 10,000 Lb. trailer from California to Tennessee. It's certainly got the torque! Surprisingly, it doesn't weigh much more than a smallblock Chevy engine. There are several items of dress-up and speed equipment out for that engine, headers, manifolds, roller rockers, etc., but box stock is still pretty impressive. I've got a 500 with a 400 trans I'm planning to graft into a 59 Suburban one of these days.
Jerry

Oh yeah. Pontiac big blocks are approximately small block Chevy sized (okay a little bigger), but make a lot better torque. I don't know if very many V8's will pull a heavy truck and manage 20 mpg, but maybe with a good enough overdrive, anything's possible.

You could even stroke the 400 with a 455 crank I think. For options on the Poncho motors, checkout Indian Adventures on the internet.

Good motors. I love my 68 Firebird's motor. Amazing torque, enough to make even a 3.08 feel good.

If you're wanting economy and power slap a supercharger on either a 292 or a SBC.

Who makes a supercharger for a 292?

I'm in the middle of converting my '50 3600 over to a big block v6. It is a more straight forward conversion than any v8. It should give plenty of torque but I don't expect to get 20mpg initially. Personally, I think if you really want that kind of mileage and power, you better start looking at the diesels again. You're best bet with a diesel will probably be the 5.9 (unless you can find a good old 4-71!) as it should be fairly simply addapted and they are available at reasonable prices. One more thing to bare in mind is, how many miles do you expect to put on this truck in a given year? If you're not going to be using it for a daily driver over longer distances, it might not really matter much what kind of fuel economy you get (within reason.) If you go with a gas v-8, I'd use what you've got. Otherwise, you may end up like me with all kinds of engines sitting around waiting on a project!

Pulling trailers is a matter of gear ratios and transmission gear splits. Any gas inline or V8 will do the job if set up right.

If your stuck on the AOD type automatic trans, go with the gas V8.

Inline 6 set-up a BW-T5 5 speed.
I pull a 5000 lb. travel trailer with a 47 Chevy Sedan running a warmed up 235 I6, T5, 3:55 10 bolt. Gets 20 mpg lite!

Looking at Diesel? Cummins BT-6. (89-93 Dodge). No electronic stuff! About 100 lbs more that your 235. Get one with trans of your choice and run a 3:50 to 3:36 rear gear depending on tire diameter. It is a bit longer also. You can pull anything and get good mpg's

I've pulled a 5500 lb trailer with my delta 88 (3800 lb car, olds 307, 200R4 transmission, 2.73 rear), but I wouldn't reccomend it. If I were you, for stump-pulling torque in a small package, go with a 403 Olds. Gives you somewhere in the neighborhood of 275 lb-ft and 180 hp. These engines are great, the largest bore of any SBO as well as a pretty long stroke (I want to say somewhere in the neighborhood of 3.85"). Also, they can be built to withstand enormous amounts of power. Bill Trovato Racing just finished the Popular Hot Rodding Engine Master's Challenge in 10th place with 677HP and 567lb-ft torque on 92 octane. Granted, that's not the kind of animal you'd want in a street car, but it shows you that they can be built to make reliable power (he had about 75 dyno pulls going up to 6800 RPM on that motor by the time the EMC was over, and that was just during the competition!). 300 HP and 300 lb-ft torque is nothing with these motors.

If you want to keep the motor stock, throw one in with a quadrajet and 3.73's in the pumpkin and go towing. For transmissions, get a 200R4, but make sure it is built up enough to withstand the weight of the trailer. You'd have to do the same thing with a 700R4, so don't get conned into using one of those with an Olds motor. First, the bellhousing won't bolt to the motor without a conversion plate, and second, the 700R4's OD ratio is .70:1 where the 200R4's is .67:1.

BTW, 18-20 MPG with these should be no problem at all. Buddy of mine has an olds 455 in an 81 delta 88. With a 200R4, 3.73's and a quadrajet, a pretty mild 455 gets him 19 mpg on the highway.